Sports Birthdays for July 5 — Goose Gossage and More

Here are some of the people in the sports world celebrating birthdays on July 5:

Gary MatthewsAge: 62Profession: Retired MLB Player / Current MLB AnalystBest Known For: Nicknamed 'Sarge,' Gary Matthews was a consistent hitting outfielder during a major league career that spanned from 1972 to 1987 with the San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners. Matthews was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1973, selected to the All-Star team in 1979 and won the Most Valuable Player Award of the 1983 National League Championship Series while with the Phillies. He now serves as an analyst on broadcasts of Phillies games.

Goose GossageAge: 61Profession: Retired MLB PlayerBest Known For: Perhaps the first modern 'closer,' Richard 'Goose' Gossage was a hard-throwing relief pitcher who was named to nine All-Star teams during his career from 1972 to 1994. Scowling at batters behind a bushy mustache, Gossage began closing games with the New York Yankees of the late 1970s and was part of their World Series winning team in 1978. In 1981's 'Pine Tar Game,' Gossage gave up a home run to Kansas City Royals' third-baseman George Brett that was later disallowed because of the amount of pine tar on Brett's bat. Gossage finished his career with 310 saves. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008.

James LoftonAge: 56Profession: Retired NFL Player / Current NFL AnalystBest Known For: An eight-time Pro Bowl selection at wide receiver, James Lofton was selected to the NFL's 1980's All-Decade Team. Best known for his time with the Green Bay Packers from 1978 to 1986, Lofton played with three other teams, ending his career with 764 receptions more than 14,000 receiving yards and 75 touchdowns. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003.

John LeclairAge: 43Profession: Retired NHL PlayerBest Known For: A five-time NHL All-Star, John LeClair amassed 406 goals and 819 points during his 16 seasons in pro hockey. From 1992 to 2007, LeClair scored 50 goals in a season three times, all with the Philadelphia Flyers. He also played with the Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins. He was on the Canadiens' 1993 team that won the Stanley Cup.

Amélie MauresmoAge: 33Profession: Retired WTA PlayerBest Known For: The top-ranked tennis player in the world for five weeks of 2004, French-born Amélie Mauresmo won 25 career singles titles, including two Grand Slam championships, from 1994 to 2009.